The principle of such post-combustion chambers is already described, for example in French patent No. FR 1 578 136.
Combustion products are not always completely incinerated, in particular when they include waste containing cellulose or plastic materials. Gases leave the combustion chamber charged with carbon black, un-burned residues, and toxic pollutants (phosphene, dioxine, . . . ) due to incomplete decomposition.
French patent No. 1 578 136 shows that such gases may be treated and purified in a post-combustion chamber placed immediately after the combustion chamber. The temperature in the post-combustion chamber is higher then the temperature in the combustion chamber and the gases remain therein for a longer period of time, such that a second combustion reaction takes place.
Accompanying FIGS. 1 and 2 show post-combustion chambers as described in the literature. FIGS. 3 to 5 relate more particularly to the present invention.
In FIG. 1, the gas coming from a combustion chamber 1 and charged with carbon black which would normally clog up filters 2 passes initially through a post-combustion chamber 3 filled with bulk refractory grains 4 presenting a large radiating area. These grains may be silicon carbide, corundum, . . .
The bed 3 of refractory grains is maintained at high temperature (more than 850.degree. C.) in an oxidizing atmosphere, e.g. by direct heating using a burning 5.
The disposition of the burner is such that the gases charged with carbon black pass through the flame of the burner before engaging the bed of refractory materials.
The flow rate of air entering the incinerator is adjusted in such a manner that the gases leaving the combustion always contain a few percent of oxygen.
These gases are raised to a temperature which is high enough to ensure combustion of carbon black and they pass through the bed which is maintained at high temperature. As a result, the gas is repeatedly shocked and changed in direction, thereby increasing its transit time, and above all increasing the transit time of the particles of carbon black, thus favoring combustion thereof.
In the long term, the filter bed clogs up and it needs to be replaced. Heretofore, the entire chamber has been emptied and refilled with new grains.
The refractory grains removed are technological waste that needs to be stored. When nuclear waste is incinerated, the used filter bed is charged with radioactive particles and must be stored in special containers providing safe storage, i.e. storage where there is no risk of radioactive particles being disseminated into the environment. In the long term, such operations of replacing and storing all of the refractory grains are expensive.
In addition, the Applicant has observed that the top portion of the filter bed is damaged to a greater extent than the remainder of the bed by virtue of being directly exposed to the flame of the burner.
Grains which have numerous points when new end up having a surface which damaged and, eroded (i.e. the points are rounded), and sintering is also observed on the surfaces of the grains.
It is therefore the top portion of the bed which needs to be removed.
In order to reduce the quantity of refractory grains that are used and stored, the Applicant proposes a post-combustion chamber having a Y-shaped bottom portion, with the two branches of the Y being filled up to different levels with refractory grains.
Such a disposition has already been described by the Inventor at the ASME International Waste Management Conference held in Hong Kong, Nov. 29 to Dec. 5, 1987.
FIG. 2 shows such an embodiment in greater detail in which the gases coming from a combustion chamber 6 are heated by a burner 7 prior to passing into the post-combustion chamber 8.
As in the prior art of the above-mentioned patent, the post-combustion chamber 8 has a conical bottom 9. Said bottom is extended by a tube 10 in order to impart generally Y-shaped, siphon-forming geometrical shape thereto.
The filter bed 11 is thus removed by gravity into a vat 12 when a throttle valve 13 is opened allowing the grains to slide over the conical bottom.
The post-combustion chamber 8 is separated by a vertical wall 14 into two compartments 15 and 16 both containing a filter bed of the same type as that described in the above-mentioned prior patent.
In the invention the two branches of the siphon are filled to different depths. The level of the bed in the gas inlet compartment is lower than in the other compartment (i.e. the level in compartment 15, FIG. 2, is lower).
This difference in filter bed level firstly makes it possible for the gases entering the compartment 15 to expand prior to coming into contact with the bed, thereby reducing the speed with which the gases pass through said bed, and secondly ensures that the combustion reaction and the filtering take place for the most part in the compartment 16.
Only the top portion of the filter bed situated in the compartment 15 is exposed to the flames of the burner and to the highest temperatures. As a result, the quantity of grains whose surfaces are damaged is reduced.
When clogging occurs, enptying via the siphon serves to empty to compartment 15 completely while only emptying the compartment 16 partially.
This gives rise to a saving in refractory grains.
The bed is returned to its initial two levels by topping up with grains of refractory materials poured in via an opening 17 provided in the top of the compartment 16.
The two compartments are in communication with each other so the level also rises in the compartment 15.
The Applicant has observed that it is not always easy to empty and refill a filter bed as described above: grains which are clogged to a greater or lesser extent and agglomerated to a greater or lesser extent may form steps or baffles on the conical bottom and hinder the flow of grains into the siphon. Further, grains do not always flow properly from the compartment 16 into the compartment 15, and as a result the level in the compartment 15 is not always guaranteed.
Another drawback has also been observed in the implementation of said post-combustion chamber. The vertical wall 14 separating said chamber into two compartments must be capable of withstanding lateral thrust from the aggregates of grains on both sides thereof and it must also be capable of compensating for thermal expansion during operation.
The wall is normally made of refractory bricks and it is relieved of stress by thrusting against shaped iron pieces. The assembly is normally locked into place using spring-loaded pushers or draw bars.
This type of locking is bulky and difficult to apply when the chamber is provided with an air-tight jacket, containing a flow of air, as is necessary, for example, when there is a danger of contamination (i.e. when incinerating nuclear waste). The problem is that the jacket is itself not particularly strong and makes it difficult to install force compensators securely.